Incident Details
The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development in South Africa faced a cyber security incident impacting child maintenance payments, leading to temporary suspension of electronic payments.
Incident
How Did the Breach Happen?
The breach occurred due to attempts to compromise the electronic payment system for third-party funds, including child maintenance.
What Data has been Compromised?
Approximately 1,200 files containing names, banking details, and contact information of individuals submitting personal data were compromised.
Why Did the company's Security Measures Fail?
Security measures failed to prevent the breach, leading to a ransomware attack that encrypted information systems and made electronic services unavailable.
What Immediate Impact Did the Breach Have on the company?
The immediate impact included suspension of electronic services causing inconvenience to beneficiaries and a subsequent fine for breaching data privacy laws.
How could this have been prevented?
The breach could have been prevented by strengthening cyber security measures and ensuring timely renewal of security licenses such as Trend Anti-Virus, SIEM, and intrusion detection system licenses.
What have we learned from this data breach?
This breach highlights the critical need for robust cyber security measures, proactive monitoring, and enforcement of data protection regulations to safeguard sensitive information.
Summary of Coverage
The South Africa Justice Department faced a cyber attack affecting child maintenance payments due to compromised security measures. Strengthening cyber security and adhering to data protection laws are crucial lessons learned.